Gawcott#Signal Hill
{{Short description|Village in Buckinghamshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox UK place
|official_name= Gawcott
|static_image_name= Church tower, Gawcott - geograph.org.uk - 1046242.jpg
|static_image_caption= Tower of Holy Trinity parish church
|coordinates = {{coord|51.981|-1.010|display=inline,title}}
|os_grid_reference= SP6831
|civil_parish= Gawcott with Lenborough
|population= 778
|population_ref= (2011 Census,parish)[http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadKeyFigures.do?a=7&b=11123686&c=Gawcott&d=16&e=62&g=6404053&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1359910805504&enc=1 Neighbourhood Statistics 2011 Census], Accessed 3 February 2013
|unitary_england = Buckinghamshire
|lieutenancy_england = Buckinghamshire
|region= South East England
|country= England
|constituency_westminster= Buckingham
|post_town= Buckingham
|postcode_district= MK18
|postcode_area= MK
|dial_code= 01280
|website=
}}
Gawcott is a village about {{convert|1.5|mi|km}} southwest of Buckingham in the Buckinghamshire district in the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire, England. The village is in the civil parish of Gawcott with Lenborough.
History
The toponym is derived from the Old English for "cottage for which rent is payable". The Domesday Book of 1086 records the village as Chauescote. An alternative description for the name of Gawcott, however, comes from the old Norse word for the cuckoo, 'Gaukr', pronounced Gawk and 'cott' for house/ home/ cottage.
This explanation has some merit as in the west of the village the cuckoo was the prevalent bird up until the early 1940s when much of its habitat was destroyed to make space for servicemen in the Second World War. One of the local historic public houses of the village was also named the Cuckoo's Nest.
Sir George Gilbert Scott, the architect of the Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras railway station in London (and numerous other buildings), was born in Gawcott{{cite web
| last=Turnbull
| first=Alan
| title="Secret Bases" Part 1
| publisher=Pagliacci Productions Limited
| date=24 August 2006
| url=https://www.secret-bases.co.uk/secret.htm?permalink=MI6
| access-date=2006-08-30}}{{cite web|title=Get-a-map - Gawcott |publisher=Ordnance Survey |url=http://getamap.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/output1/gam/gam_ordsvywat-sun-17249306951141.png |access-date=2006-09-15 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} where his father, the Reverend Thomas Scott (1780–1835), was perpetual curate.
Signal Hill
To the east of the village is Signal Hill, which was a former FCO/MI6 signals intelligence station.{{Cite web|url=https://heritageportal.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/Monument/MBC24738|title=Monument record 0942000000 - Signal Hill Transmitter Station|publisher=Buckinghamshire County Council|website=Buckinghamshire's Heritage Portal}}{{cite web | url=https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Signal+Hill,+Lenborough+Rd,+Buckingham+MK18+4BU/@51.981781,-0.9950029,836m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x4876e2e6eb3cb79b:0x5e340cc13765dd03!8m2!3d51.9818371!4d-0.9924747!16s%2Fg%2F11cpnlymx0 | title=Buckingham · Buckingham MK18 4BU, UK }}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|Gawcott}}
{{Aylesbury Vale}}
{{authority control}}
Category:History of telecommunications in the United Kingdom